Low resources PC: Pentium MMX

[T6]

a machine like this one is 13-14 years old more or less

the kernel that pclinux has afik won't work with that cpu but maybe one of the small versions like zen or lxde could have a legacy kernel

other options are other distros designed to run on such older and slower hardware but to be honest all you will be able to do is work with basic apps and very few web browsers will work for you but in general very limited situation

if the machine will be isolated from the world you can install windows 98 and any office suite that can work with such small amount of ram

something to mention is that a machine like this will have a small and very slow hard disk and the cdrom is problably dead now so you have to spend money on that and the hard disk because it could be(probably) damaged too

another use is convert it into a file server or a router with some light distros dedicated to that

another option is sell the parts or recycle the machine, it is too old and slow to give it a use

consider the fact that a atom running at 1600 mhz is considered slow this days, a old 200mhz without a single optimization is a shame now

[Lee2010]

I have a few old Omnibook 800 ct laptops that only have 80 mb of RAM in them. They are the best little laptops ever!

I once tried dsl and it was a hassle but it worked.... anyways PCLinuxOS is out of the question. Load Windows 2000 on there and be done....

[T6]

now that you mention it, there is a extra option, install xp on it but you need more ram and you would have to search for every trick to make it run fast, disable services, remove files and apps, configure everything, that includes remove any visual effect win xp can offer and app a antivirus, maybe avast or avg, nothing more will work without killing the machine

if you have doubts it will run xp, i installed xp on machines like this and tried to install it on a slower 166mhz cpu but failed, too long wait

[Crow]

now that you mention it, there is a extra option, install xp on it but you need more ram and you would have to search for every trick to make it run fast, disable services, remove files and apps, configure everything, that includes remove any visual effect win xp can offer and app a antivirus, maybe avast or avg, nothing more will work without killing the machine

if you have doubts it will run xp, i installed xp on machines like this and tried to install it on a slower 166mhz cpu but failed, too long wait

Yes it works with XP, I won't say it runs, maybe crawls  

Some of us installed XP in ancient machines  http://www.emezeta.com/articulos/windows-xp-sp2-en-un-pentium-100mhz  but more as a challenge not thinking in real use.

If you want try Nlite to slim XP  and Portable Apps since those doesn't install and the registry doesn't grow.

[uncleV]

II would like something easy as XFCE (or explorer) and fast enough to internet and watch movies on internet.

Nowadays Internet pages and video are not friendly to the old hardware. The video card is still too slow for a convenient surf, I think.

Won't you use that machine for experiments on Linux CLI, without Desktop Environment, simple window manager only?

[Lee2010]

This guy has a pentium mmx with 32 mb of RAM running e16. You could look into that.

e16 - Enlightenment DR16 Running on an old laptop

[menotu]

Try this - its only 10MB in size and runs live with loads of additional apps

http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/

Edit: can be installed to USB

[fraxinus]

"DeLi Linux surprised me by turning the old 486 into an usable system [...] the Pentium III was extremely responsive, being even faster than my main AMD64 system running Fedora Core 6 [...] As far as lightweight Linux distributions go, DeLi is one of the best."

+1. I have seen DeliLinux run quite satisfactorily on a 486. But it is not 'pretty' - brutally functional, in fact!

[DBobb]

Also for a browser, consider Kazehakase. It only uses about 6MB of RAM on startup. It's amazing.

[AndrzejL]

Hi BPSoftware.

If I recall correctly Texstar has made an iso with the legacy kernel and KDE4.x desktop sometime ago for Linuxera... Its still somewhere around. You can try using it to install PCLinuxOS 2010 on this dinosaur. Don't get Your hopes up... It may not work BUT if You decide to try it and will succeed - good for You...

Installing PCLinuxOS 2010 on the very old machine? Do this:

1) Boot the CD
2) After choosing keyboard and pressing ok press ALT + CTRL + BACKSPACE few times to kill X server
3) Wait for DM to come up
4) Choose the FailSafe session from the available menu.
5) Log in as root
6) When logged in it will only show a "squarish" console in right bottom.
7) Type in draklive-install

You can install KDE4 iso to a very old machines this way. Then after You will install reboot and You can log in to the Failsafe session from DM again. From there You can fire up pcc and setup internet connection. You can also fire-up synaptic and install task-lxde or task-fluxbox. After that You can change the DM to GDM and choose to autologin to this DE after boot.

I am not 100% sure will the iso work on such an old computer BUT I think this is one of the best ways to find out. I installed MiniMe 2010 this way on Pentium 2 360 MHz and 192 MB ram.

OH and remember about the zlib1 problem during upgrade when You install it coz its an older iso and this problem is still valid with it.

OH and if it will work it will probably work like a tank... Heavy and sluggish...

Cheers.

Andy

P.S. I will try finding the link to the iso.

[AndrzejL]

Bad news.

Cant find the link BUT You may want to PM the Boss and ask for it.

Andy

[T6]

"Also for a browser, consider Kazehakase. It only uses about 6MB of RAM on startup. It's amazing."

but can it handle flash?  what about compatibility?

"If I recall correctly Texstar has made an iso with the legacy kernel and KDE4.x desktop sometime ago for Linuxera... Its still somewhere around. You can try using it to install PCLinuxOS 2010 on this dinosaur"

i think that kde4 requires at least a 500 mhz cpu

"Installing PCLinuxOS 2010 on the very old machine? Do this:

1) Boot the CD"

this is the first problem, if the cpu is this old the mainboard could not be capable to boot from the livecd because bios possibly doesn't have the option so you will require a floppy to boot and call the livecd

the usb is out of list too, bios won't have it listed as a boot device

you mention a PII 360 that for most purposes is the double of that mmx with a very limited front side bus

[AndrzejL]

T6 Yes I understand what You're saying but You're not booting KDE4... You are booting KDE4 LiveCD with the legacy kernel which is suppose to run with Pentium MMX CPU's BUT Youre breaking x before it gets to the KDE4. You're logging into the FailSafe session which does not requires 500 MB ram and allows to install PCLinuxOS iso to hdd. Now going from there. After installation Youre going to the FailSafe session again and You can setup network / upgrade / remove KDE4 / install other DE.

Its not DE that is the problem. Its the fact that Pentium MMX is not compatible with any kernel but legacy one which ought to work with such a prehistoric device .

The only 2010 iso that came out with legacy kernel is the iso made by Texstar for Linuxera as far as I know. I have seen the link to it on the forum long time ago and I remember downloading it. It worked fine till I ran into the zlib1 problem and reinstalled with the genuine MiniMe 2010 iso.

I am not sure if I am right. Heck I could be wrong and I wouldn't be surprised but if I were BPSoftware nothing (beside the lack of the iso link ) would stop me from trying it !

Oh and about the inability to boot from livecd... I could do that with my old Pentium MMX mobo... but there is always a way out:

1) Check does the latest bios version can change that and if yes flash it...

2) If flashing BIOS does not help... Move the HDD to a newer puter... remove the original HDD. Install the LiveCD to the HDD and move it back to the old machine... I mean its not windows... There should be no BSOD coz of the GPU drivers...

BUT bare in mind that if You are not skilled enough and Your knowledge of PCs is not sufficient You may end up with two borked puters software-wise in best case and hardware-wise in worse...

If You dont know what You're doing... Don't do it till You do know what You're doing or (if You have a syndrom of "I just had to try it!" like myself) start experimenting. Experiments MAY and probably WILL go wrong... You have been warned. I take no responsibility for borked machines .

Andy

[Neal ManBear]

I had an LXDE ISO with the legacy kernel. I am trying to find where I stored it. If I do, I will update it and post about a download of it.

[AndrzejL]

I had an LXDE ISO with the legacy kernel. I am trying to find where I stored it. If I do, I will update it and post about a download of it.

That would be one of the way ! Well done. I am waiting for the link. I think its something everyone should have in case of "grandpa" puters..

Thanks Neal .

Andy